


I Found Someone

by 51stcenturygirl



Category: Downton Abbey
Genre: Acceptance, Family, Gen, M/M, Missing Scene, Mother-Son Relationship, One Shot, Post Movie, Romance, during Downton Abbey movie, inspired by mothers day, richard's parents - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-14
Updated: 2021-03-14
Packaged: 2021-03-22 22:34:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,530
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30045792
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/51stcenturygirl/pseuds/51stcenturygirl
Summary: One shot showing the beginning of Richard and Thomas's relationship with Richard tells his mother that he has met someone.Inspired by it being Mother's Day in the UK today.Set during the DA movie and before chapter 3 of 'Take Me To London'.
Relationships: Richard Ellis & Original Female Character(s), Thomas Barrow/Richard Ellis
Comments: 1
Kudos: 31





	I Found Someone

**Author's Note:**

> This one shot is set in two different moments. The first within the Downton Abbey movie when Richard and Thomas go to York and Richard visits his parents. The second, a year later (roughly) in 1928 just before the events of chapter 3 of my story 'Take Me To London'.
> 
> It could be considered to be part of the 'My future is our future and I will spend it with you' series, but also fits nicely on its own.

**_York, 1927_ **

"More cake Richie?" Richard's mother, Marion asked. Richard had been sitting on his parents sofa for a few hours now. He hadn't meant to stay this long and he knew that he was keeping Mr Barrow waiting, but his parents were very keen to know everything that was going on during the King and Queen's visit to Downton Abbey. They also hadn't seen him for almost a year. It was not easy to get time off and especially enough to travel all the way from London to York. His mother therefore seemed to have spent many days before his visit baking all his favourite cakes and now he was well on his way to getting completely stuffed.

"I suppose one more won't hurt," he said, taking a slice of Victoria sponge, one of his absolute favourites especially when it was made with a good amount of cream. His mother smiled, she knew he would take another. Her son has always had a bit of a sweet tooth. "I can't be here too much longer though mum, I have left a friend of mine waiting in a pub far too long already," he said.

"Is this a new friend of yours?" she asked, putting down the plate of cake and sitting down.

"I suppose yes. He works at Downton Abbey, we seem to get on rather well," Richard said. That was an understatement, he and Mr Barrow-  _ Thomas, his name is Thomas,  _ got on very well indeed, he was sure that he was right about him. That they were alike in more ways than one. But he couldn't just ask, so he had to be sure.

"I'm surprised Downton would let their staff have free time on this occasion. I would have thought they would be up to their eyes in it," John, Richard's father asked.

"Well, as I explained earlier, Mr Wilson basically took over as usual and made us look like an invading party. But Mr Barrow was pushed aside from his duties as butler as they seemed to have decided the former butler of Downton would handle the visit better. I think Mr Barrow is very capable personally and from what I have seen, the former butler, Mr Carson, hasn't handled things much better anyway," Richard said. "Basically, Mr Barrow has found himself with a lot of unexpected free time ironically, for such a busy event, and since we are getting on so well thought I would try to cheer him up a little. He has been understandably annoyed at being pushed aside."

Richard's mother looked at her son. She had seen this look about him a few times before, but not for a long time now. He was holding back on something. "You seem rather fond of this 'Mr Barrow' Richie."

Richard was very fond in fact, but he wasn't sure Thomas felt the same. He was a hard man to read, but seemed to let his guard down around him for some reason. "I like him, yes." He looked at the clock. "I shouldn't be keeping him waiting."

"Where are you going with him?" Marion asked.

"I'm not sure. That depends on him really. I thought we'd get a drink though," Richard said.

Richard noticed his mum looked a bit worried. "You're not going to take him to one of those places you've been too before are you? The police have been raiding more and more of them lately around here."

"No, I wasn't. I'm not even completely sure he is the right type of man for those places," Richard said. He thought Thomas was the right type of man. He was usually pretty good at reading people. But Thomas Barrow was different somehow.

"Well just be careful please Richard," Marion asked. "I can't have anything happen to you. Promise me you won't do anything stupid?"

"I promise mum," he said.

...

Although later on that evening, he had no choice but to do something very stupid (or brave) indeed. A stupid thing, but nothing he will ever regret.

...

**_York, 1928 (about a year later)_ **

"You sure you can't stay a little longer this morning Richard?" Marion asked from the kitchen as her son rushed downstairs, and grabbed his hat off the dining room table.

"I already stayed longer than I should, I won't get to Downton until late afternoon if I leave it too long," Richard said. "And I did help dad dig that tree stump out of the garden hedge earlier like you asked."

"I know, it would just be nice to see you more often dear," she said. "Who is so important in Downton to need your urgent attention Richie? I am sure that if I went through the letters you sent us over the last year that most of them would mention Downton Abbey at least once. You have never shown so much affection for any of the other houses that you have visited over the years." She was wondering if every time her son mentioned 'Downton' in his letters he was actually using it as a code for someone rather than something. She and her husband didn't judge their son on his fondness for men instead of women, and he knew that he could trust them, but he was still keeping something or someone secret from them and had been doing so for a while now, if her guesses were correct.  _ Whoever this is must be different,  _ she thought.

Richard thought, trying to stop the blush that was threatening to form on his face. "Downton Abbey is an extremely different place to anywhere else I have ever visited mum. The staff there behave as a family, and stick together as one too. It is a nice place to spend the time."

Richard looked at his mum and he knew that she was not fooled by that for a second. "When are you going to tell me the real reason Richard? Am I going to have to keep guessing for the rest of my days?"

"I don't know what you mean mum," Richard said unconvincingly.

"Richie you are blushing like a beetroot. Who is it?" she asked, folding her arms across her chest smiling.

Richard sighed and looked away from her towards the window. He knew she wouldn't let this go. "Do you remember when I visited you last year at the time of the royal visit at Downton?"

"Yes of course."

"I told you I was spending some time with Mr Barrow after seeing you and dad," he said.

"Yes. He was the one you pulled that incredibly stupid stunt of walking into the police station and getting him released wasn't it?" she asked.

"Um yeah," Richard said. He had told them about that during a quick visit he made last year three months after the royal visit, the same time he went to see Thomas again, and they weren't best pleased with him. "Well I've been writing to him ever since. I saw him about three months later and well..." Richard paused as he failed to stop the smile on his face. "Well, I have found someone in him mum."

"Found someone as in?" she asked, knowing the answer, the one she had been hoping for, by the look on her son's face.  _ I should have known it was going to be him, _ she thought. Her son was not an idiot and wouldn’t pull such a stunt in a police station for just anyone.

"I'm seeing him mum, romantically I mean," Richard admitted.

"He's a good man then?"

Richard nodded. "The best, you would like him, dad too I think."

Marion then did the only thing she could think of and gave her son a hug. "Be careful won't you?" she asked.

"I will. But I do need to go and I really just intend to surprise him whilst he's working. I won't be popping into any police stations this time okay?"

"Good. You should be going then. Don't worry about coming back here until later alright?" she said. "Unless-"

"Yes mum?"

"You could bring him here to meet us if you like? If he is able to get away for a few hours?"

"I'm not sure if he will want to mum. I will ask him but he finds it difficult to trust people. He's had a lot of tough experiences. His own parents kicked him out when he was young," Richard said sadly.

"I understand," she nodded, finding it hard to comprehend that someone would be able to turn their backs on their own child. "Give him the option but tell him he will be welcome and safe here okay?"

"I will, thank you mum," Richard said. He knew how lucky he was that his parents allowed him to be himself around them and that they accepted him and loved him without question. He would always be grateful for that and he wanted Thomas to know how it felt to be loved like that too. He looked at the clock on the mantelpiece. He knew that his father would love anyone who could get that old thing working again, and he reckoned Thomas Barrow could manage that.


End file.
